BA (Hons) Business and Management (N75)
01 Sep 2026 - 31 Jul 2032
| Course Leader | Liam Newton |
|---|---|
| Course Team | Jayde Howard, Kevin Brown, Karl Greenhough, Shehla Khan, Anthony Thomas, Sarah Campbell, Mary Hedderman, Scott Parfitt, Luke Evans, Amy Nguyen, Lucie Corcoran, Donald Amuah, Louise Miles, Rachael Rees-Jones, Claire Wright, Tammy Laugharne |
| Awarding Body | University of South Wales |
| Teaching Institutions | University of South Wales |
| Modes of Study | Part Time |
Document Version
| Version | 0 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2026 |
| Valid To | 31 Jul 2032 |
QAA Benchmarks
Educational Aim
To develop in students a critical awareness of business concepts across the core business disciplines of marketing, people management, entrepreneurship, operations management, accounting, and economics.
To prepare students for a range of careers in management and leadership, developing their graduate attributes and employability.
To develop students’ awareness of ethical and sustainable business leadership and create graduates equipped to become impactful global citizens.
To cultivate digitally literate graduates who are proficient in the appropriate use of digital technologies (such as AI) suitable for the workplace.
Learning Outcomes
| A1 | Critically evaluate the business environment within the scope of the core business disciplines of marketing, accounting, entrepreneurship, operations & HRM. |
| A2 | Demonstrate effective leadership ability, able to motivate and lead others based on an understanding of contemporary people management theories. |
| A3 | Critically analyse contemporary challenges within the field of business and demonstrate an ability to develop innovative and entrepreneurial solutions based on an understanding of business theory and practice. |
| A4 | Apply principles of responsible decision making, integrating a deep understanding of systems thinking, business ethics, the UN SDGs, and the global context of modern business. |
| A5 | Demonstrate digital fluency within a business context, showing both a reflective understanding of the appropriateness of technologies within business and management, as well as a confidence in the use of these technologies. |
Course Structure
Level 4 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4B001E | MOD013924 | Launch your Leadership Journey | Running | 30 | specified |
| 4B002E | MOD013926 | Managing People: Harnessing HRM | Running | 30 | specified |
| 4B003E | MOD013928 | The Founder’s Playbook: Build Your First Business | Running | 30 | specified |
| 4B004E | MOD013929 | The Marketing Mindset | Running | 30 | specified |
Level 5 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5B001E | MOD013931 | The Hidden Engine: How Supply Chains Power Sustainable Business | Running | 30 | specified |
| 5B002E | MOD013933 | Applied Accounting | Running | 30 | specified |
| 5B005E | MOD013930 | System Error: Rebooting Economics | Running | 30 | specified |
| 5B003E | MOD013925 | Change the World: The Charity Challenge | Running | 30 | optional |
| 5B004E | MOD013927 | The Workplace Experience | Running | 30 | optional |
| 5J002E | MOD013932 | Experience Year | Running | 120 | optional |
Level 6 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6B001E | MOD013935 | The Impact Ecosystem: Business for Social Good | Running | 30 | specified |
| 6B031E | MOD013937 | The Consultancy Challenge | Running | 30 | specified |
| 6B002E | MOD013938 | Avoiding Business Failure | Running | 30 | specified |
| 6B003E | MOD013940 | Business 4.0: Disrupt or Be Disrupted | Running | 30 | specified |
| 6N001E | MOD013942 | Network75 Reflection | Running | 0 | specified |
Teaching and Assessment
Learning and Teaching Methods
Over the 12 modules of the course, students will develop both the cognitive, practical and transferable skills required for a successful career in business. Learning will be active and student-led learning, with the majority of contact hours spent in workshop-style interactive sessions where students are active partners in the learning process rather than passive recipients of knowledge – influenced particularly by pedagogical approaches from Freire (1959) and Hooks (1994), as well as more recent work around Education for Sustainable Development (UNESCO, 2020).
In line with the USW Curriculum Development Principles, each module is co-designed with multiple stakeholders, including a key industry partner who will contextualise the module and set a live brief for students to solve. The overall design of the course is structured in a way that students will develop their professionalism and autonomy throughout the course – earlier modules focus on core competencies which are built upon in later modules:
The first module develops students' leadership and ability to learn within the pedagogical setting of the course, focussing on their abilities as a student
The next 6 modules, running to the end of second year, develop the core knowledge and understanding that students need from a degree in business and management, as set out in the QAA subject benchmark statements – all taught within an active, challenge-based context.
In block 3 of the second year, students will have two options, each linked to a grand challenge. The first option provides students with the opportunity to engage in a fully interdisciplinary grand challenge, collaborating with students across disciplines to address a societal challenge set by a regional charity, culminating in an industry showcase event. The second option allows students to take part in a 5-week work placement, gaining workplace experience and culminating in a report to the company where the student will address a real challenge they have observed in the workplace. These two options are complementary, with both options mapping to the same course learning outcomes and providing an equivalent experience to students whether they choose the real-world placement or the interdisciplinary challenge.
The final year of the course focus on applying the core business knowledge and understanding developed in the first year to contemporary challenges within the context of business – thus developing students analytical and graduate outcomes and preparing them for employability.
The course is strongly integrated not only with external stakeholders, but also internal teams, including the Careers team, who particularly support students in developing their employability as an embedded element of module design, as well as the Learner Development Service, who are able to offer study skills and additional support to all students throughout their degree.
Both the design and pedagogical strategy of this course have been co-created with students, industry, and the external examiner. Industry partners have seen drafts of module and course specifications and provided input on the design of the course, which has particularly informed the AI strategy adopted. A student focus group was held with both recent alumni and current year 3 students in October 2025, with positive feedback from the students involved. Student feedback has particularly informed the addition of a workplace experience module at level 5, as well as a unique finance module, a change from the previous version of the course. Feedback from the external examiner was very positive, with external examiner feedback from previous annual reports used to inform the assessment strategy and reducing the assessment burden on students.
Employer Engagement
Extensive market insight has been undertaken across the institution over the past year to ensure our product catalogue is aligned with existing and future patterns of student demand. This has involved an analysis of UCAS and HESA subject and course level data, factoring in overall market size and trend, in addition to our relative market position against key competitors. This insight has been utilised formally through the ongoing SIG Programme (feeding into balanced scorecards), in preparation for the Growth Summit, and during Strategic Dialogue. All courses progressing through the validation process have been assessed against demand alignment as a result.
During the validation process for the BA (Hons) Business and Management, the course team has worked closely with the Future Students Business Partner to review the attractiveness of module titles, ensuring proposed terms and language are suitable for the target audience.?
Means of Assessment
The assessment strategy for this course includes a mix of individual and group tasks, including a diverse range of tasks, including presentations, debates, pitches, reports, simulations, podcasts, and more. The assessment tasks are all scaffolded within the module content, and students are supported to develop their assessment literacy through both formative assessment and in-class tasks. All assessment is mapped to learning outcomes.
As suggested in the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement, to promote students’ employability the assessment strategy for this course prioritises authentic, real-world tasks that students are likely to encounter in the workplace.
Assessment on this course is designed not only as assessment of learning, but as a method of learning itself. This includes learning of content, as well as digital skills. A range of digital formats are built into the assessment methods for this course, which is designed to build students’ digital literacy throughout their studies, ensuring all students graduate with the digital skills necessary for their future employment. These digital skills are scaffolded – beginning with basic digital literacies (such as use of Microsoft Office, library searching, and information literacy), before building at each level to include creative digital tools, web design, and analytical software. Students will be supported in learning these digital skills through explicit classroom sessions, beginning in module 1, and where necessary, including support from the tech team at the university.
The overall assessment design is also designed to take into account the changing workplace given the advent of GenAI. Graduates are increasingly expected to be AI-literate, and graduates are now expected to use more analytical and evaluative skills compared to typical jobs in the past – as per Kanbach et al (2023), GenAI is “shifting the human role from content creation to evaluation and editing”.
Taking this into account, all assessments on this Business and Management degree are placed at level 5 on the USW AI in Assessment Scale, positioning AI as a study skill and core competence that students need in order to produce their work, rather than an academic misconduct issue. This does not mean that students have to use AI, or are able to submit AI-written work without any effort – indeed, students who submit unrefined AI work will likely fail an assignment – but this is a result of them not showing the analysis/competency required to pass rather than failing because they have used AI. Instead, students will be encouraged to use AI in the assessment journey, editing and refining the output and in the process learning by doing, and thus developing AI literacy as a key graduate attribute for this course.
Learning Support
The BA (Hons) Business and Management at the University of South Wales is unique both locally and nationwide – incorporating both the core competences of a course in business and management (as articulated by the QAA Subject Benchmark Statements) as well as a number of unique elements – with the overriding theme being to prepare students for their future careers.
At its heart, the course is very closely linked to industry, with an industry partner involved in each module – including local, regional, and recognised multinational businesses. These partners are deeply integrated, with live briefs and in-person attendance from each of the industry partners, as well as opportunities for students to have workshops delivered in the offices of major industry partners. Through these industry partners, all students leaving the course will graduate not only with a degree, but also a network of contacts in different businesses and the confidence in applying their skills to the workplace. All students will also have the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the workplace, with the option for students to undertake a credit-bearing 5-week work placement in their second year (as well as alternative options for students who prefer an interdisciplinary university experience).
Recognising that students who graduate from Business & Management degrees don’t always go on to work in business, the course is also designed with flexibility and interdisciplinarity in mind. The course includes flexible and innovative pathways – including pathways for entrepreneurship and creative industries – preparing students for a broad range of careers including some of the largest industries in Wales. The course also includes opportunities to collaborate outside students own disciplines, with a fully interdisciplinary module at level 5 – allowing students to collaborate with other students from different subject areas in solving a grand challenge – building problem-solving, communication, and teamwork abilities.
The focus on the workplace also extends to the assessments within the course. Authentic assessments are used in all circumstances – mirroring the type of tasks students will need to do in the workplace – such as pitches, presentations, creative tasks, and company reports – and digital and AI literacy is prioritised throughout. The course is designed for a post Gen-AI workplace, with all assessments designed to develop students criticality and awareness in appropriate and effective use of AI.
Despite these many benefits of the degree, it is recognised that today’s workplace is extremely competitive, and so microcredentials and dual accreditation are built into the course from the outset. Graduates will not only receive their BA (Hons) Business and Management, but also have the opportunity to graduate with the following additional credentials:
A Level 5 Qualification in Leadership and Management from CMI
Carbon Literacy Certification
A qualification in the Vocational Use of AI, accredited by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs; and
A Level 5 Qualification in Management and Leadership from ILM
Each of these are valuable credentials that will aid in students employability and can be added to their CVs and LinkedIn profiles.
Ultimately, this is an innovative Business and Management offering capable of developing workplace-ready graduates and with a clear USP compared to our local competitors: that our course is designed with industry and employability as the central design pillar.
Course Exit Points
| Award | Criteria | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) | 360 credits of which at least 100 must be at Level 6 or above, 120 at Level 5 or above, 120 at Level 4 or above and no more than 20 at Level 3 | Final |
| Certificate of Higher Education | 120 credits of which at least 100 must be at Level 4 or above and no more than 20 at Level 3 | Exit |
| Diploma of Higher Education | 240 credits of which at least 100 must be at Level 5 or above, 120 credits at Level 4 or above and no more than 20 credits at Level 3. | Exit |
Progression Route
Entry Requirements
Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:
Inclusive Curriculum Statement
The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/
Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution
N/A
Methods Of Quality Standards
University Quality Assurance systems will be adopted to track and ensure the ongoing compliance of the course, including annual external examiner reports and continuous monitoring systems. The annual report from the external examiner provides critical input on the standards of achievement, comparability with other institutions, and the fairness/rigor of assessments, which is formally responded to by the course team, with actions taken where appropriate to address the feedback received.
At the end of each year, an assessment dialogue event will take place with the course team. Course and Module leaders will review student performance, student feedback, and EE & industry feedback, identifying areas for improvement, which will be actioned by the relevant module leaders.
LOOP feedback and SSCLG meetings will be used in the first instance to collect feedback from students, in collaboration with course representatives. The course team uses the student feedback to enhance the pedagogy, delivery, and content of the course, including making formal modifications where required. In addition to internal quality metrics, the course leader and Year Level Tutors will also review performance of the course against national benchmarks and surveys, particularly the NSS, GOS and LOS, to identify any areas for improvement. Action plans are created based on students, EEs or PSRB feedback and tracked by Faculty Quality Assurance Committee. These action plans are integral part of the annual continuous monitoring.
Recognising that local employers are also a stakeholder of the course, ongoing industry feedback will be obtained through key industry partnerships – primarily through industry partners sponsoring modules on the course, to ensure it retains relevance. The feedback of employers/industry partners provide a focus on future skill needs, relevance of current course content, and graduate attributes. This industry feedback will also be obtained through PSRB accreditation – namely the Chartered Management Institute, who moderate the course on an annual basis. This involvement of CMI ensures that the course remain aligned with industry competence frameworks, especially regarding emerging professional practice and ethical considerations.
Quality Of Standards Indicators
N/A